Live streaming is relatively new, but there are some Facebook Live tools and software that you’ll want to know about. These can help you make the most of your Facebook Live events, turning more viewers into subscribers and customers.
Mentions app – If you’re a verified public figure, you can use the mentions app, which you can download on your Apple or Android device. This app enables you to share with others easily your live video across networks.
Open Broadcaster Software – OBS Studio is free, open source desktop software to add functionality to your live streaming. With OBS Studio you can have multiple broadcasters and switch between them, display pre-recorded audio/video, show still images, export your recording for other uses, and more.
Be Live – This is my top recommendation for most entrepreneurs. You can share slide images, show up to 3 people simultaniously with a queue of 10 more (hello, expert panels and interviews!), brand your stream and more with just the free level. The paid tiers don’t limit your number of streams and add fancy options like screen sharing and custom frames.
Bonus Tool: Facebook Live Auto Embed for WordPress
This plugin will embed your current live stream into your site automatically, add a notification bar to your site when you’re live, and gives you easy shortcodes to embed recent live streams. Not free, but if you’re using Facebook Live with great results, it’s an amazing option for ease of use and driving traffic.
Microphone & Sound – Many people use their smartphones and tablets to capture the video used for Facebook Live. You can put your mobile device on a tripod, and use a special lapel mic to help the sound work better. Alternately, you can get a separate microphone for use with your desktop. I love my
Alternately, you can get a separate microphone for use with your desktop. I love my Blue Snowball and use it for everything since it has 3 separate sound settings. I also use my headphones (they’re wireless, but I use the audio cable so there’s no audio delay) so the audio doesn’t get an echo while on a call or live stream with another person.
Lighting – One of the most important aspects of your video outside of sound is the lighting. The lighting will make a huge difference. You can get numerous types of lighting options that can help, such as a portable phone ring light, a regular ring light that works for phones or desktop, or more traditional studio-style lights.
Editing – To edit your video after the fact, you can bring it into any type of editing software that works on videos such as Premeier Pro (my go-to), Camtasia, YouTube’s video editor, or other video editors. Editing a video after the live event is a great way to reuse it later with a call to action added to make it more effective.
Looking to edit on the go? I love Animoto for this – they have fabulous apps for iOS and Android! [time-restrict on=”1/1/2018″]Plus, grab coupon YEAR15 for 15% off of an annual plan until 12/31/17![/time-restrict]
Using some of these Facebook Live tools will help make your events more effective. After all, the point of doing a live event in the first place is to get more subscribers and more sales. You’re going to get more if you make it easy by having a call to action – by telling people during the video to subscribe or act in some way. These tools will make it all much easier.
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